Automatic rapid fire gun



Nov. 15, 1938. R. LALoUx AUTOMATIC RAPID FIRE GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 17, 1955 I. III Q a I NOV. 15, 1938. R. LALOUX 2,136,512

AUTOMATIC RAPID FIRE GUN liled Aug. 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 15, 1938 Application August 17, 1935, Serial No. 36,740 In Belgium August 21, 1934 The present invention relates to an automatic rapid re gun or the like which is light in weight and at the same time the mounting or dismounting of which is easy.

The present invention has for its chief object the utilization. in automatic rapid fire guns or the like, fed by cartridge band, of a locking mechanism which has given good results in another kind of arms, for example in automatic fire kguns fed by a cartridge magazine and in which the opening of the arm is obtained by the pressure of the explosion gases.

One of the objects of the present invention is the adaptation of this locking mechanism in 5 order to ensure the displacement of the cartridge band and also the extraction of the cartridges out of the band and their introduction into the barrel.

This known locking mechanism is provided with a bolt horizontally articulated to a movable breech part connected by an arm to a longitudinal breech which in turn is connected to the piston rod of a motor device operated by the explosion gases.

Suitable connections (not shown) are provided between the cartridge band and the breech block, whereby movement of the breech block causes advancement of the cartridge band.

With the type of locking mechanism before described, firing is obtained by the impact of a block belonging to the longitudinal breech against a striking pin positioned in the movable breech part; this impact is obtained by means of a recuperation spring acting against the longitudinal g breech; but in the case of the invention this spring must also during the closing stroke produce the advance of the cartridge band; the recuperation spring in the mechanism of the invention must have a relatively high power at the end of its ex- 40 tending motion; also at the end of the opening stroke the power of the recuperator spring must not be excessive in order to allow the opening of the gun; since a part of the energy given to the motor piston serves for the ejection of the empty 45 cartridge from the chamber and also for the extraction of a fresh cartridge out of the band.

These desiderata are obtained by the arrangement that the recuperation spring bears at one end against an abutment positioned at the front of 50 the breech and at the other end against a sliding plate closing the rear end of the breech casing. This spring is consequently the longest which can be placed in the gun, and its power, von account of its great number of coils, is as constant 55 as possible with respect to its deection.

springrpressed guide pin which, at the end of the opening motion, leaves one guide groove and enters another deeper groove; this pin is exposed to considerable shear forces which, ordinarily, it could not resist, and to avoid this disadvantage the pin performs guiding functions only and the shear forces are resisted by parts better adapted for this purpose. To this end the band extractor is provided with two lateral rigid guide pins and the guide pin laterally extends beyond one of the rigid pins in such a manner as to ensure the change of the direction of the extractor at the beginning of the return motion of the movable breech casing.

'I'he annexed drawings show by way of example and in a non-limiting manner an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a partly longitudinal section through the automatic rapid fire gun according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows in disconnected position the main parts of the locking mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a Ypartly plane section.

Fig. 4 is an outside lateral view of the arm.

Fig. 5 is a section according to the line A-A of Fig. 3 through the longitudinal breech and the feeding breech.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the band extractor.

The gun shown has a motor cylinder 2 (Fig. 1) 40 communicating with the inside of the barrel I8 by means of a hole 3 through which explosive gases are taken from the barrel to actuate a motor piston 4 (Figs. 1 and 2) having a rod 5 connected to a longitudinal breech slide 6 (Figs. 45 1, 2, 3 and 5). This longitudinal breech slide is provided at its rear part with a block l upon which an arm 8 is articulated at 8a (Figs. l and 2) This arm 8 is also articulated to the rear part of a bolt 9 the front part of which is pivoted on a 50 movable part I0 of the breech (Figs. l and 2). An arm Il (Fig. 3) jointedly connects the movable breech part I0 and the bolt 9, and is made of T-shape in order to provide suitable bearing surfaces for the transmission of forces 55 between the bolt 9 and the movable breech part I0. The longitudinal breech slide 6 (Fig. 5) isprovided on its bottom face with a groove I2b serving for guiding the recuperation spring I2 (Figs. 1 and 5) this recuperation spring bears at one end against a vertical face IZCL (see Fig. 2) at the front end of the breech and at the rear end against a plate I3 backed by a block I4 (see Fig. 1).

The longitudinal breech slide S is provided with an upper plane face; in which is Vformed a cam groove I 5 (see Figs. 3 and 5) in which engages an abutment I6 on a transverse breech I'l serving in a manner known per se for advancing of the cartridge band.

The reciprocating motion of the longitudinal breech by suitable mechanism (not illustrated) causes the cartridge band, not shown, to advance step by step under the action of the transv-erse breech Il. On the rear end of the movable breech part I0 is pivoted a band extractor I9 (Figs. l, 2 and 6) provided in front with 'a small tooth 2l) for extracting the cartridges. This extractor is provided on each of its lateral faces with two guiding abutments 2| normally engaged in grooves 22 and 23 (Fig. 1) formed in the internal lateral faces of the breech casing.

One of these guiding abutments 2l is provided in its center with a spring actuated guiding abutment 24 which acts as follows:

When the gun is opened the abutment 24 is engaged in the guiding groove 23; at the end of the opening motion this abutment is forced by its spring into the guiding groove 22 which at this place is deeper than the guiding groove 23. During the closing motion of the gun the abutment 24 will be deviated by a lateral face 22d and willV enter the groove 22 in order to introduce into the barrel a fresh cartridge previously extracted from the cartridge band.

As soon as the cartridge has been introduced intothe barrel the extractor falls, due to the inclined part of the guiding groove 22, and is then ready to extract a fresh cartridge from the band.

During the translation motion into the guiding grooves 22 and 23 the forces are resisted only by the guiding abutment 2| of the extractor whilst the abutment 24 only serves to determine the change of direction of the extractor. A spring 25 (Figs. 1 and 2) tends constantly to raise the extremity of the guide extractor I9 and acts-When the extraction of the cartridge from the band takes place, to introduce it into the grooves positioned at the front part of the movable breech.

The breech casing 26 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) is closed at its rear part by the plate I3 which is slidable vertically in grooves I3a in the inside lateral faces of the breech casing 26. This plate bears the damper mechanism (Figs. 1 and 3) against which.4

the block of the breech abuts at the end of the opening motion; it also carries the trigger Z8 (Fig. 1) constituted by a longitudinal movable block the depr-ession of which determines, by mechanism not shown, motion of a nose 29a. on a pawl 29. This trigger is normally locked by a paWl 3B pivoting upon the rear part and provided with a groove in which engages the trigger 28.

What I claim is:

1. A machine gun comprising motor means actuated by the explosion gases, a movable breech bolt actuated thereby, a cartridge band feeding mechanism, and an extractor for extracting cartridges from a band of cartridges in said mechanism, said extractor being pivoted to the rear end of the breech bolt and arranged in the median plane of the gun.

2. A machine gun comprising motor means actuated by the explosion gases, a movable breech bolt actuated thereby, a cartridge band feeding mechanism, an extractor for extracting cartridges from a band of cartridges in said mechanism, said extractor being pivoted to the rear end of the breech bolt and arranged in the median plane of the gun, and a tooth provided on said extractor for removing cartridges out of the band, said tooth being arranged so that during the entire displacement of the extractor it maintains the ange of the cartridge intimately tightened against the movable breech bolt and particularly upon termination of the vertical translation of the cartridge, that is, immediately before introduction of the cartridge in the ring chamber.

3. A machine gun comprising motor means actuated by the explosion gases, a movable breech bolt actuated thereby, a cartridge band feeding mechanism, an extractor for extracting cartridges from a band of cartridges in said mechanism, said extractor being pivoted to the rear end of the breech bolt .and arranged in the median plane of the gun, a tooth provided on said extractor for removing fresh cartridges from said band, and two guide buttons laterally arranged on said extractor.

4. A machine gun comprising motor means actuated by the explosion gases, a movable breech bolt actuated thereby, a cartridge band feeding mechanism, .an extractor for extractingA cartridges from a band of cartridges in said mechanism, said extractor being pivoted to the rear end of the breech bolt and arranged in the median plane of the gun, a tooth provided on said extractor for removing fresh cartridges from said band, two guide buttons laterally arranged on said extractor, and a spring-pressed pilot concentric with one of the guide buttons and extend-I ing laterally from the latter.l

5. A machine gun comprising a breech casing, motor means actuated by the explosion gases, a movable breech bolt actuated thereby, a cartridge band feeding mechanism, an extractor for extracting cartridges from a band of .cartridges inl said mechanism, said extractor being pivoted to the rear end of the breech bolt and arranged in the median plan-e of the gun, a tooth provided on said extractor for removing fresh cartridges from said band, guiding grooves positioned on the inside lateral faces of the breech casing, and two guide buttonsv laterally arranged on said extractor and cooperating with said guiding grooves.

6. A machine gun comprising a breech casing, motor means actuated by the explosion gases, a movable breech bolt actuated thereby, a cartridge band feeding mechanism, an extractor for extracting cartridges from a band of cartridges in said Vmechanism, said extractor being pivoted to the rear end of the breech bolt and arranged in the median plane of the gun, a tooth provided on said extractor for removing fresh cartridges from said band, guiding grooves positioned on the inside lateral faces of the breech casing, two guide buttons laterally arranged on said extractor and cooperating With said guiding grooves, and an elastic pivot concentric with one of the guide buttons and extending laterally from the latter.

REN LALOUX. 

